Jug Island Beach 2012

There were six Ramblers today--Ingrid, Linda, Ruth, Cheryl, Leah, and a very pregnant Angie. It was exactly a year ago today that we first did the Jug Island Beach hike, but today was much brighter and we weren't shooed away by a film crew. It was also a reminder of why Lana decided to replace the Gr.6 Sasamat Lake hike with this one. The trail goes through some incredibly rich rainforest, and while not overly challenging, it is not a walk in the park, either.

Today we failed to see the Indian Pipe we had discovered last year, but the huckleberries were abundant. Angie had quite the feed along the way, and we teased her that the baby she was carrying would probably love huckleberries and hiking. From the "wailing wall," to the pristine beach at the end, the beauty that surrounded us nourished the soul. We all agreed that it was a hike worth doing, even if one had trod the path before. 

Although the beach was not deserted when we arrived, we were still able to enjoy the time we spent sitting on logs snacking on our lunches. You would think we would have been disappointed that we weren't alone, but we actually got a kick out of watching kids skipping stones on the water. We were also entertained by a Labrador retriever who was swimming tirelessly after a stick being thrown over and over by a young couple who had settled in on the one end of the beach.

None of us ventured into the water today, but it wasn't because it didn't look inviting. Had there been another landing spot besides the one that the kayakers had taken over, and had there been a chance to sneak off into the woods to slip into a bathing suit, you just might have seen at least one Rambler splash across to Jug Island. That will have to wait until next year, I guess.

We completed our adventure with a relaxing time in Cheryl's backyard, sipping ice cold water and nibbling on strawberries, grapes, and muffin tops.

We chatted for an hour as only women can--a cross-generational group enjoying our time together. All in all, it was a wonderful day for the Regent Ramblers.